Discover the 10 Most Dangerous Places in Mississippi

Based on Statista’s data for 2022, Mississippi ranked as the 12th least dangerous state in the United States. Mississippi only had 245 violent crimes reported per 100,000 people, far below the national average of 380.7 per 100,000 people. Nonetheless, Mississippi still has some cities and areas where crime rates are high. These areas can see many of their residents experience crime, either violent crime or property crime. Using data from USA.com’s crime index, we can assuredly say which cities are the most dangerous. In order to stay safe when traveling or planning to move to Mississippi, one should know which 10 places they should avoid the most!

10. Pascagoula

Population: 22,239

Crime Index: 3,263

Violent Crime: 31.9. (The US average is 22.7)

Property Crime: 90.6. (The US average is 35.4)

Pascagoula is a medium sized city in south Mississippi, with a public school system better than the state average. However, the extremely high rate of property crime shows that its still not a safe place! Recent shoplifting cases further underline the issues with property crime in Pascagoula! For people with families looking for somewhere to settle down, or those living nearby wondering about visiting should know of the dangers! While the violent crime rate isn’t that much higher than the national average, the very high rates of property damage emphasize that Pascagoula is a very dangerous place!

9. Drew

Population: 1,869

Crime Index: 3,425

Violent Crime: 49.7. (The US average is 22.7)

Property Crime: 47.2. (The US average is 35.4)

Drew is a very small town of under 2000 people located in the northwest of Mississippi. Since 2000 the town has been rapidly shrinking, with people leaving the town in search of opportunity and to escape the crime! High violent and property crime rates indicate the lack of economic opportunity and lack of hope from the remaining residents. With property values falling as well, there are very few reasons to move to Drew. For families with children, the fact that a school was burnt down by 6 teens will surely factor into the decision. 

8. Greenwood

Population: 15,873

Crime Index: 3,467

Violent Crime: 35.9. (The US average is 22.7)

Property Crime: 80.4. (The US average is 35.4)

Greenwood is a medium sized town in the northwest portion of the state of Mississippi, with a steadily declining population. People are leaving Greenwood for the same reason that the rate of property crime is far too high, there’s not enough economic opportunity. Surprisingly, the median household income has risen slightly since 2000. Even still, the very high rates of crime show that Greenwood is still a very dangerous place to call home. With residents even concerned that there’s nothing that can be done about the crime, moving to or visiting Greenwood isn’t recommended!

7. Indianola

Population: 10,426

Crime Index: 3,512

Violent Crime: 60.7. (The US average is 22.7)

Property Crime: 95.1. (The US average is 35.4)

Indianola is a smaller town located in northwest Mississippi, in the counterintuitively named Sunflower County. The insanely high rate of property crime as well as violent crime are almost hard to believe. A shooting in December of 2023 just highlights that the violence is still common within the town, making it actively dangerous!

6. Charleston

Population: 1,801

Crime Index: 3,625

Violent Crime: 71.6. (The US average is 22.7)

Property Crime: 52.2. (The US average is 35.4)

The small town of Charleston in north Mississippi is riddled with homicide, with an unbelievably high violent crime rate of 71.6. Population has been declining since 2000, with people leaving the small 1.6 square mile town due to fearing for their lives. A triple homicide occurred in November of 2023, showing that the homicide rates and violent crime rates are representative of what is really occurring in Charleston. 

5. Vicksburg

Population: 23,559

Crime Index: 3,733

Violent Crime: 33.0. (The US average is 22.7)

Property Crime: 81.7. (The US average is 35.4)

Vicksburg is a medium-sized city with nearly 25,000 people along on the Mississippi River. With the property values consistently going down, Vicksburg wouldn’t be a good place to try to invest in a home! With the high property crime rates, the chances for your home or car to be broken into are high! Located in west Mississippi, the high violent crime rate and extremely high property crime rate make Vicksburg an extremely dangerous place to live! With shootings being all too common, raising a family or furthering your career will be very dangerous in Vicksburg!

4. Clarksdale

Population: 17,497

Crime Index: 3,831

Violent Crime: 35.1. (The US average is 22.7)

Property Crime: 80.3. (The US average is 35.4)

Tucked into northwest Mississippi, Clarksdale encompasses nearly 14 square miles! Another town that’s losing population due to crime and lack of opportunity, the sky high property crime rates make it hard to imagine calling Clarksdale home! In one weekend of 2023, 14 people were shot across three separate shootings, just another example of how dangerous Clarksdale can be! The property crime rate is extremely high, meaning you wouldn’t want to leave your car unlocked in Clarksdale!

3. Moss Point

Population: 13,690

Crime Index: 4,055

Violent Crime: 37.2 (U.S. Average is 22.7)

Property Crime: 83.2. (The US average is 35.4)

Located in south Mississippi, Moss Point is a smaller town that has been losing population due to the increased crime! With extremely high rates of property crime, having things stolen or your home broken into is far too common! The violent crime rate is still higher than the national average, which is usually more common in larger cities! Considering its high rates of crime, shrinking population, and location being some distance from large cities Moss Point is far from the safest place in Mississippi!

2. Jackson

Population: 173,631

Crime Index: 4,372

Violent Crime: 55.5 (U.S. Average is 22.7)

Property Crime: 63.2 (U.S. Average is 35.4)

As the capital and largest city in Mississippi, Jackson follows the trend of most medium to large sized cities of having higher than average crime rates. But its worse than other medium or large sized cities, with an extremely high rate of violent crime. In recent years, Jackson’s homicide rate has repeatedly ranked highest among major U.S. cities. With extremely high rates of homicide, violent, and property crime, Jackson, Mississippi is definitely one of the most dangerous cities in the state!

1. Itta Bena

Population: 2,159

Crime Index: 4,750

Violent Crime: 31.7 (U.S. Average is 22.7)

Property Crime: 95.6 (U.S. Average is 35.4)

Itta Bena, while being a small town of under 2,500 people, has much higher crime rates than the national averages. With a very high rate of violent crime and an unbelievably high rate of property crime, Itta Bena is the most dangerous place in the state of Mississippi. With murders being far too common in Itta Bena, anyone thinking of moving to Mississippi should steer clear!

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